Summary
The article, Chemistry in a Global Economy - An Education Agenda by Joseph S. Francisco, explains that in this everchanging world we live in many industries continue to go global and Chemistry is no exception. It says that further steps must be taken in science and mathmatics education to ensure that today's chemist will be able to be competitive in the global work place. Francisco proceeds to go through levels of education of which we as educators must be concerned with. He begins with K-12 education stating that the foundation for math and science training is laid throughout these years, and that students must understand the importance of developing their international knowledge. He continues by saying that this development should begin "by increasing their awareness, sensitivity, and understanding of global issues" (Francisco 1338). Francisco then moves on to Undergraduate Education saying that the Committee of Professional Training has made advances in redesigning curriculums in colleges and universities that can better prepare students for the chemical field. He states that "Now is the time for the ACS (American Chemical Society) to bring together the leaders and recruiters of global chemical businesses and ask them what training and skills students need to be successful in their companies" (Francisco 1338). Graduate Education and Research is touched upon next which basically goes over the current major global problems/issues and the steps that should be taken to better prepare "today's chemists to live in tomorrow's world" (Francisco 1338).
Reaction
I found that many of this articles points fit with my view of how educating people on the topic of Chemistry should be handled in today's society. We must look at a bigger picture when it comes to global issues, not just each country's narrow-minded view of what will suit them best. When today's world includes issues such as global warming, which effects all of us world wide, we must work together to solve the problem. I believe that the suggestions made in this article about how students should be exposed to a curriculum that is more internationally/globally based could not be more on the money. Despite the fact that many of the author's views remain very idealistic, he, in my humble opinion, is correct and his theories are sound. Every teacher should do their best to practically apply concepts that they teach in their classroom to adhear to global perspectives. This is by no means always easy and requires additional effort to tie current events into their teaching, however, I feel that if we are to produce well-rounded, globally prepared citizens then we must implement practices such as those described in this article.
Summary
The article, Chemistry in a Global Economy - An Education Agenda by Joseph S. Francisco, explains that in this everchanging world we live in many industries continue to go global and Chemistry is no exception. It says that further steps must be taken in science and mathmatics education to ensure that today's chemist will be able to be competitive in the global work place. Francisco proceeds to go through levels of education of which we as educators must be concerned with. He begins with K-12 education stating that the foundation for math and science training is laid throughout these years, and that students must understand the importance of developing their international knowledge. He continues by saying that this development should begin "by increasing their awareness, sensitivity, and understanding of global issues" (Francisco 1338). Francisco then moves on to Undergraduate Education saying that the Committee of Professional Training has made advances in redesigning curriculums in colleges and universities that can better prepare students for the chemical field. He states that "Now is the time for the ACS (American Chemical Society) to bring together the leaders and recruiters of global chemical businesses and ask them what training and skills students need to be successful in their companies" (Francisco 1338). Graduate Education and Research is touched upon next which basically goes over the current major global problems/issues and the steps that should be taken to better prepare "today's chemists to live in tomorrow's world" (Francisco 1338).
Reaction
I found that many of this articles points fit with my view of how educating people on the topic of Chemistry should be handled in today's society. We must look at a bigger picture when it comes to global issues, not just each country's narrow-minded view of what will suit them best. When today's world includes issues such as global warming, which effects all of us world wide, we must work together to solve the problem. I believe that the suggestions made in this article about how students should be exposed to a curriculum that is more internationally/globally based could not be more on the money. Despite the fact that many of the author's views remain very idealistic, he, in my humble opinion, is correct and his theories are sound. Every teacher should do their best to practically apply concepts that they teach in their classroom to adhear to global perspectives. This is by no means always easy and requires additional effort to tie current events into their teaching, however, I feel that if we are to produce well-rounded, globally prepared citizens then we must implement practices such as those described in this article.
- Matthew Hooper